Srpnrt  of  (Umtfmntrr 
of  ifliaaionarira  attb 
Miaaionanj  Inarba 
Working  in  Wrxirn 


tn  (Eiitftnnalt,  ©Ijto 
3  tut  e  30  —  3  it  l  g  1 ,  1014 


Copies  may  be  obtained  at  three  dollars 
per  hundred  or  at  five  cents  each,  postage 
paid,  from  any  Mission  Board  or  from 
the  Committee  on  Mission  Work  in  Latin 
America,  Room  808,  156  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York  City. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/reportofconferen00conf_5 


Conference  of  Missionaries  and 
Missionary  Boards  Working 
in  Mexico 

June  30-July  1,  1914 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  almost  all  the 
missionaries  at  work  in  Mexico  were  pres¬ 
ent  in  the  United  States  and  that  they  and 
the  Boards  which  they  represented  felt  the 
urgent  need  of  common  counsel  that  the 
work  might  be  reorganized  in  the  best  pos¬ 
sible  way  after  the  disturbances  of  the  last 
two  years,  a  Conference  on  Missions  in  Mex¬ 
ico  was  called  by  a  Committee  representing 
the  standing  committee  of  the  Missionary 
Boards  at  work  in  Latin  America.  The  Con¬ 
ference  convened  in  the  rooms  of  the  Metho¬ 
dist  Book  Concern,  Cincinnati,  on  June  30th, 
1914,  at  10  a.  m. 

The  following  delegates  were  present: 
BAPTIST  NORTH : 

Rev.  Geo.  H.  Brewer,  Dr.  L.  C.  Barnes. 
Woman’s  Board:  Mrs.  Frank  J.  Miller. 

BIBLE  SOCIETY: 

Mrs.  F.  S.  Hamilton. 

CONGREGATIONAL: 

Dr  John  Howland,  Rev.  Louis  B.  Fritts, 
Rev.  E.  F.  Bell;  Woman’s  Board:  Miss 
Kate  G.  Lamson,  Miss  M.  D.  Wingate, 
Miss  Mary  F.  Long. 

DISCIPLES: 

Christian  Woman’s  Board:  Dr.  A.  McLean, 
Pres.  C.  T.  Paul,  Miss  Elma  Irelan,  Dr. 
jjj  Ida  W.  Harrison,  Mrs.  Effie  L.  Cunning- 


ham,  Mrs.  Ellie  K.  Payne,  Prof.  John  G. 
McGavran,  Dr.  H.  C.  Hurd,  Dr.  F.  M. 
Rains,  Sec.  S.  J.  Corey. 

FRIENDS : 

E.  Gurney  Hill,  R.  Solomon  Tice,  Mrs.  E. 
P.  Trueblood,  Miss  Nancy  Lee,  Miss  Edith 
Tebbetts. 

EPISCOPAL : 

Mr.  John  W.  Wood. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL : 

Bishop  F.  J.  McConnell,  Dr.  John  W. 
Butler,  Rev.  J.  P.  Houser,  Rev.  F.  F. 
Wolfe',  Dr.  W.  F.  Oldham,  Rev.  R.  A.  Car- 
hart,  J.  N.  Gambel. 

Woman’s  Board:  Miss  C.  J.  Carnahan, 
Miss  C.  Butler,  Miss  H.  L.  Ayers,  Mrs. 
R.  L.  Thomas,  Miss  Helen  Hewett,  Mrs. 
J.  P.  Houser,  Miss  Grace  Hollister,  Miss 
Julia  A.  Knox. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  {South) : 

Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth,  Dr.  Edward  F. 
Cook,  Miss  Belle  H.  Bennett,  Miss  Mabel 
Head,  Miss  Esther  Case,  Miss  L.  Roberts, 
Miss  H.  L.  Gibson,  Dr.  G.  B.  Winton, 
Miss  N.  E.  Holding,  Rev  N.  E.  Joyner, 
Rev.  F.  S.  Onderdonk,  Dr.  J.  M.  Moore. 

PRESBYTERIAN  {North): 

Dr.  Wm.  Wallace,  Rev.  W.  E.  Vanderbilt, 
Rev.  Chas.  Petran,  Mr.  R.  E.  Speer,  Dr. 
A.  W.  Halsey,  Prof.  R.  A.  Brown;  Woman’s 
Boards:  Mrs.  W.  E.  Waters,  Miss  Jennie 
Wheeler. 

PRESBYTERIAN  {South): 

Dr.  E.  W.  Smith,  Rev.  W.  A.  Ross. 

4 


Y.  M.  C.  A.: 

Mr.  A.  E.  Turner. 

Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth,  of  the  Southern 
Methodist  Church,  was  chosen  Chairman  of 
the  Conference  and  the  Rev.  E.  F.  Bell  and 
the  Rev.  G.  H.  Brewer,  Secretaries. 

The  conference  lasted  for  two  days  and  in 
the  spirit  of  prayer,  in  the  spirit  of  unity, 
and  in  the  spirit  of  hope  and  courage  which 
prevailed,  it  was  felt  by  all  those  present 
to  have  been  one  of  the  most  notable  gath¬ 
erings  they  had  ever  attended,  and  as  they 
have  looked  back  over  it  since,  it  seems  to 
them  that  it  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new 
era  of  true  missionary  co-operation  and 
efficiency  of  administration. 

Maps  and  tabular  statements  had  been 
prepared  furnishing  each  delegate  with  in¬ 
formation  regarding  all  the  work  which  the 
Missions  were  doing  in  Mexico.  After  a 
full  preliminary  discussion,  the  five  follow¬ 
ing  Committees  were  constituted,  each  made 
up  of  representatives  of  all  the  missionary 
agencies  composing  the  conference,  and 
every  member  of  the  conference  being  as¬ 
signed  to  work  on  one  or  more  of  these 
committees: 

(1)  Press  and  Publications  —  Chairman, 
Rev.  G.  B.  Winton,  D.D. 

(2)  Theological,  Educational  and  Training 
Schools  —  Chairman,  Rev.  William 
Wallace,  D.D. 

(3)  General  Committee  on  Education — 
Chairman,  Rev.  John  Howland,  D.D. 

(4)  Territorial  Occupation  —  Chairman, 
Rev.  John  W.  Butler,  D.D. 

5 


(5)  General  Committee  on  Mexico  to  con¬ 
sider  all  questions  not  included  in 
the  above  four — Chairman,  Bishop  W. 
F.  Oldham,  D.D. 

These  Committees,  meeting  separately, 
studied  thoroughly  the  subjects  assigned  to 
them;  then  the  whole  conference  re-con¬ 
vened  and  the  various  reports  were  taken  up 
one  by  one,  fully  discussed  and  amended, 
and  then  adopted  as  follows: 

I.— COMMITTEE  ON  PRESS  AND 
PUBLICATIONS 

Present  conditions  in  Mexico  make  op¬ 
portune  a  readjustment  of  the  work  produc¬ 
ing  an  evangelical  literature  in  the  Spanish 
language.  Every  indication  points  to  a 
greatly  increased  demand  for  such  literature 
in  the  immediate  future.  The  newly  and 
deeply  aroused  minds  of  the  people  of  that 
country  will  insist  upon  something  to  feed 
on.  The  pabulum  which  is  supplied  them, 
the  reading  matter  which  is  disseminated 
through  the  country,  will  have  much  to  do 
with  the  future  welfare  of  that  Republic. 
Here  is  a  wide  open  door  for  the  Gospel. 

In  the  past  our  activities  in  produc¬ 
ing  Christian  literature,  conducted  as  they 
have  been  largely  along  independent  lines, 
have  been  attended  by  much  duplication  of 
effort  and  consequent  waste  of  resources. 
This  is  not  necessary.  In  perhaps  no  other 
department  of  our  work  is  co-operation  so 
easy  as  in  this. 

The  production  of  literature  involves  two 
branches  of  labor,  the  editorial  and  the  man¬ 
ufacturing.  The  literature  itself  also  nat- 

6 


urally  falls  into  two  classes,  books  and 
periodicals,  the  permanent  and  the  tempo¬ 
rary — including  tracts  and  leaflets  with  the 
periodicals.  In  no  department  of  this  work 
is  co-operation  impossible.  In  some,  as  for 
example  in  manufacturing,  it  may  perhaps 
be  accounted  difficult.  Yet  we  believe  that 
the  difficulties  involved  even  in  the  com¬ 
munity  ownership  and  direction  of  publish¬ 
ing  plants  are  by  no  means  insurmountable. 
Certainly  there  should  be  no  serious  obstacle 
in  the  department  of  editing.  Our  denomi¬ 
national  beliefs  are  sufficiently  near  to  iden¬ 
tity  with  each  other  and  the  taste  of  Mexican 
readers  so  indifferent  to  the  distinctions 
which  may  still  persist  among  us,  that 
authorship  and  supervision  by  those  of  one 
Church  for  readers  of  another  offer  no  ob¬ 
stacles  that  need  give  us  pause. 

In  view  of  these  considerations  your  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Literature  and  the  Press  offer  for 
your  approval  the  following  recommen¬ 
dations: 

1.  That  a  Joint  Depository  and  Selling 
Agency  be  established  at  Mexico  City. 

2.  That  all  the  present  Church  papers  be 
united  into  one. 

3.  That  an  illustrated  young  people’s 
paper  be  established. 

4.  That  a  joint  publishing  plant  be  estab¬ 
lished  in  Mexico  City  on  the  basis  of 
a  proportionate  sharing  of  expenses  by 
the  denominations.  This  enterprise  we 
should  expect  to  be  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  and  control  of  a  joint  board,  the 
members  to  be  named  by  the  co-oper¬ 
ating  churches. 


7 


II.— COMMITTEE  ON  GENERAL 
EDUCATION. 


This  Committee  recommends: 

1.  That  Domestic  and  Manual  Arts  be 
taught  in  all  schools,  as  far  as  prac¬ 
ticable. 

2.  That  an  Elementary  School  be  carried 
on,  as  far  as  possible,  wherever  there 
is  an  organized  congregation,  and  in  the 
larger  places  that  there  be  added  the 
fifth  and  sixth  grades,  so  that  pupils 
may  be  prepared  for  admission  into 
the  higher  institutions. 

3.  That  there  be  High  Schools  established, 
at  least  one  for  boys  and  one  for 
girls,  within  each  Mission  territory.  The 
course  of  study  in  these  schools  should 
include  vocational  training. 

4.  That  the  various  Missions  working  in 
Mexico  appoint  a  Committee  on  Edu¬ 
cation,  the  committee  to  be  composed 
of  one  person  representing  each  Mis¬ 
sion,  to  be  appointed  as  the  Mission 
shall  determine.  It  shall  be  the  duty 
of  this  Committee  to  study  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  education  and  make  suggestions 
for  the  curriculum,  conduct  and  corre¬ 
lation  of  our  schools. 

5.  The  consolidation  of  the  higher  grades 
of  the  primary  schools  in  such  places 
as  are  occupied  by  two  or  more  denomi¬ 
nations. 

6.  That  a  Union  College  for  men  and 
women  be  established  at  some  cen¬ 
tral  place,  and  that  in  connection  with 

8 


this  college  there  be  established  Nor¬ 
mal,  Industrial  and  Kindergarten  Train¬ 
ing  Schools. 

7.  The  Committee  also  recommends  the 
consolidation  of  Normal  Schools  where 
two  or  more  exist  in  one  center,  and 
that  where  only  one  Normal  School  ex¬ 
ists,  the  question  of  its  continuance  or 
discontinuance  be  left  to  the  discretion 
of  the  denomination  concerned. 

8.  The  Committee  recommends  the  ap¬ 
pointment  of  a  Committee  on  Ways 
and  Means  for  the  founding  of  the 
College  and  affiliated  schools,  this  com¬ 
mittee  to  be  composed  of  two  members 
representing  each  denomination,  to  be 
appointed  as  each  board  or  denomina¬ 
tion  may  determine. 

9.  The  Committee  recommends  the  ap¬ 
pointment,  either  by  the  Committee  on 
Ways  and  Means  or  by  the  Boards,  of 
a  financial  agent  for  the  Union  College 
and  affiliated  schools. 

III.— COMMITTEE  ON  THEOLOGICAL 
EDUCATION. 

Your  Committee  found  that  the  way  had 
been  prepared  for  a  unanimous  report  in 
favor  of  the  establishment  of  a  Union  Theo¬ 
logical  School  and  of  its  feasibility  in  the 
immediate  future;  not  only  has  it  been 
recommended  by  the  Committee  on  Co¬ 
operation  representing  the  principal  Boards 
working  in  Mexico,  but  it  represents  a  wide¬ 
spread  and  growing  sentiment  among  mis¬ 
sionaries  and  native  workers  in  that  land. 

9 


The  practicability  of  such  an  institution  has 
been  amply  demonstrated  in  other  mission 
fields.  In  view  of  the  difficulty  involved  in 
properly  financing  and  staffing  a  second  Theo¬ 
logical  School  with  any  available  resources, 
the  Committee  suggests  that  the  considera¬ 
tion  of  this  project  be  deferred  to  a  later 
period. 

The  Committee  is  therefore  glad  to  report 
that  the  following  recommendations  have 
been  drawn  up  with  absolute  unanimity  and 
represent  the  desires  of  missionaries  work¬ 
ing  in  connection  with  the  following  churches: 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Methodist  Episcopal 
(South),  Northern  Baptist  Convention,  Pres¬ 
byterian  North,  Presbyterian  South,  As¬ 
sociated  Reformed  Presbyterian,  Congrega- 
tionalists,  Disciples  and  Friends.  We  recom¬ 
mend: 

1.  The  establishment  of  a  Bible  Institute 
and  Theological  Seminary  to  be  known 
as  The  Bible  Institute  and  Theological 
Seminary  of  the  Evangelical  Church 
in  Mexico  (Instituto  Biblico  y  Semi- 
nario  Teologico  de  la  Iglesia  Evangelica 
en  Mexico). 

2.  This  school  shall  be  under  the  control 
of  the  Board  of  Directors,  elected  by 
Missions  or  Churches  that  co-operate 
in  its  support. 

3.  The  Board  of  Directors  shall  have  con¬ 
trol  of  the  property  and  funds  contrib¬ 
uted  to  the  support  of  the  school,  shall 
elect  the  members  of  the  faculty  with 
the  approval  of  the  various  missions 
or  churches,  and  shall  discharge  the 

10 


various  duties  that  ordinarily  corre¬ 
spond  to  the  Directorship  of  such  in¬ 
stitutions. 

4.  The  School  is  expected  to  furnish: 

(a)  A  complete  course  of  Theological 
Instruction  for  candidates  prepar¬ 
ing  for  the  ministry. 

(b)  Courses  in  Bible,  music,  methods 
of  church  work,  for  those  who 
wish  to  serve  as  Evangelists,  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  secretaries, 
deaconesses, — in  general,  for  lay 
workers  of  both  sexes. 

5.  Opportunities  shall  be  provided  for  in¬ 
struction  in  the  distinctive  principles 
of  the  co-operating  organizations. 

6.  We  recommend  that  the  School  be  lo¬ 
cated  in  Coyoacan,  D.  F.,  and  that 
arrangements  be  made  for  the  purchase 
of  the  property  now  used  by  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Mission  for  its  College  and 
Seminary. 

7.  We  recommend  the  appointment  of  a 
Continuation  Committee  which  shall 
have  the  matter  under  its  immediate 
responsibility  and  correspond  with  the 
Boards  and  Missions. 

IV. — COMMITTEE  ON  TERRITORIAL 
OCCUPATION. 

The  Committee  on  Territorial  Occupation 
brought  in  a  revised  plan  for  the  division  of 
the  country,  including  the  following  resolu¬ 
tions  regarding  missions  at  work  in  the  two 
states  of  Nuevo  Leon  and  Tamaulipas: 

11 


It  is  recommended  that  the  State  of  Nuevo 
Leon  be  granted  to  the  Northern  Baptists, 
with  the  exception  of  the  present  holdings 
of  the  Disciples  in  the  City  of  Monterey 
and  the  holdings  of  the  Southern  Presby¬ 
terians  in  this  State,  and  the  future  conduct 
of  these  missions  to  be  subject  to  future 
adjustment  by  the  Boards  concerned. 

It  is  further  recommended  that  in  view 
of  special  conditions  in  the  State  of  Tamau- 
lipas  the  following  plan  be  approved  cover¬ 
ing  the  work  already  established  in  that 
State: 

In  municipalities  of  10,000  people  or  less 
where  more  than  one  Board  is  at  work,  all 
are  to  withdraw  with  the  exception  of  one 
Board,  priority  of  occupation  to  be  given 
first  consideration. 

In  municipalities  of  20,000  people,  when 
occupied  by  more  than  two  Boards,  all  are 
to  withdraw  with  the  exception  of  two, 
priority  of  occupation  to  be  given  first 
consideration. 

In  all  new  territory  assigned  to  a  single 
Board,  all  other  Boards  are  to  refrain  from 
entering. 

On  the  understanding  that  these  resolu¬ 
tions  met  with  the  approval  of  the  Confer¬ 
ence,  the  following  report  of  the  Committee 
as  a  whole  was  accepted  and  adopted: 

1.  The  Committee  is  deeply  impressed  with 
the  inadequacy  of  the  missionary  force 
available  for  the  evangelistic,  educa¬ 
tional  and  other  forms  of  missionary 
effort  through  which  we  are  seeking  to 
help  Mexico.  There  is  an  average  of 
12 


one  foreign  missionary,  including  wives, 
to  70,000  of  the  population.  Fourteen 
of  the  States  of  Mexico,  with  a  popula¬ 
tion  of  over  5,000,000,  or  one-third  of 
the  entire  population,  have  no  resident 
foreign  missionaries. 

2.  The  Committee  believes  that  there 
should  be  a  great  increase  of  the  mis¬ 
sionary  staff  to  co-operate  with  the 
loyal  and  capable  ministers  of  the 
Mexican  churches  and  that  as  soon  as 
possible  the  force  of  missionaries 
should  be  increased  at  least  fifty  per 
cent. 

3.  The  Committee  believes  also  that  there 
might  be  a  more  effective  distribution 
of  the  present  missionary  forces  than 
that  which  has  come  about  in  the 
natural  development  of  the  work  hither¬ 
to.  In  some  states  there  is  one  mis¬ 
sionary  to  each  12,000  people  and  in 
others  there  is  not  one  to  more  than 
1,000,000.  There  are  39  mission  high 
schools  in  15  states  while  the  other  15 
states,  with  a  population  of  6,000,000, 
have  no  such  institutions  at  work  for 
their  people.  We  would  accordingly 
urge  upon  each  agency  at  work  in 
Mexico  the  earnest  consideration  of  the 
location  and  distribution  of  its  forces, 
so  as  to  avoid  duplication  and  over¬ 
lapping  and  to  secure  the  occupation 
and  evangelization  of  the  entire  field. 

4.  It  is  not  within  the  province  or  power 
of  the  Committee  to  indicate  any  with¬ 
drawals  or  transfers  which  might  be 

13 


made  by  particular  agencies  and  we 
recognize  that  there  are  denominations 
which  do  not  feel  free  to  share  in  any 
plan  of  territorial  assignment  of  re¬ 
sponsibility;  but  we  recommend  that 
in  the  development  of  the  work  in 
Mexico  and  in  the  effort  to  provide  for 
the  occupation  of  the  whole  country 
the  following  denominations  be  re¬ 
garded  by  this  Conference  as  primarily 
responsible  for  the  occupation  and  mis¬ 
sionary  cultivation  of  the  states  in¬ 
dicated: 

CON  GREG  A  T10NAL1STS : 

Chihuahua,  Sinaloa,  as  far  South  as  Sina¬ 
loa  River,  Sonora  and  Lower  California. 

BAPTISTS: 

Coahuila,  Nueva  Leon,  Zacatecas,  Dur¬ 
ango,  Mexico,  Federal  District  and  Aguas 
Calientes. 

DISCIPLES : 

Coahuila  (from  Piedras  Negras  south  along 
the  line  of  International  R.  R.  to  Monterey 
and  to  Torreon  whence  north  to  Jimenez 
including  Sierra  Mojada),  Nueva  Leon. 

FRIENDS  AND  SOUTHERN  PRESBY¬ 
TERIANS: 

San  Luis  Potosi,  Tamaulipas,  Nueva  Leon. 

METHODISTS: 

San  Luis  Potosi,  Guanajuato,  Jalisco, 
Colima,  Mexico,  Federal  District,  Hidalgo, 
Puebla,  Queretaro,  Tlaxcala,  Michoacan, 
Tepic  and  Sinaloa  as  far  north  as  Sinaloa 
River. 


'  14 


ASSOCIATED  REFORMED  PRESBY¬ 
TERIANS: 

Tamaulipas,  Vera  Cruz  and  Eastern  San 
Luis  Potosi. 

PRESBYTERIANS  (North): 

Mexico,  Federal  District,  Morelos,  Vera 
Cruz,  Campeche,  Guerrero,  Oaxaca,  Chia¬ 
pas,  Tabasco  and  Yucatan. 

5.  The  Committee  believes  that  the  earn¬ 
est  effort  of  the  denominations  named 
to  care  for  the  territory  designated  will 
make  possible  a  more  efficient  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  work  in  each  part  of  the 
country  as  well  as  the  occupation  of 
the  entire  field.  Special  responsibil¬ 
ity  for  contiguous  territory  will  enable 
the  missions  to  arrange  for  regular 
and  frequent  conferences  and  insti¬ 
tutes  of  workers,  both  preachers  and 
teachers,  and  will  prepare  the  way  for 
such  an  intensive  development  of  their 
work  and  such  harmony  of  relation¬ 
ships  as  will  best  advance  the  cause 
which  we  all  seek  to  serve  of  the  evan¬ 
gelization  of  the  whole  land  and  the 
moral  and  spiritual  progress  of  its 
people. 

V.— GENERAL  COMMITTEE. 

1.  We  recommend  that  the  Committee 
calling  this  conference  be  requested  to  ap¬ 
point  a  committee  of  five,  of  whom  four 
shall  be  missionaries  at  work  in  Mexico,  to 
whom  shall  be  assigned  the  task  of  prepar¬ 
ing  a  paper  to  be  entitled  “A  Message  to 
the  Mexican  People.”  We  suggest  that 

15 


there  be  added,  as  Chairman  of  this  Com¬ 
mittee,  Mr.  Robert  E.  Speer,  the  Chairman 
of  the  present  Committee  of  Arrangements 
of  this  Conference.  This  Message  to  the 
Mexican  people  should  set  forth  in  brief 
but  comprehensive  language  the  fundamen¬ 
tals  of  the  Christian  faith  and  life  as  held 
throughout  the  centuries,  laying  special  em¬ 
phasis  on  general  principles  of  Christian 
living  growing  out  of  a  living  union  between 
the  individual  and  Jesus  Christ  as  Divine 
Lord  and  Master.  We  would  call  especial 
attention  to  the  admirable  paper  on  this 
general  theme  issued  by  the  Christian  Litera¬ 
ture  Society  of  Japan  and  signed  by  700 
Japanese  missionaries  and  circulated  broad¬ 
cast  over  the  land.  While  the  message  to 
the  Mexican  people  must  of  necessity  be 
adapted  to  the  present  needs  and  conditions 
of  the  Mexicans,  we  believe  that  the  mes¬ 
sage  to  the  Japanese  people  contains  the 
substance  of  what  should  be  inserted  in  the 
message  to  the  Mexican  people,  with  pos¬ 
sibly  particular  emphasis  being  placed  on 
the  relation  of  the  individual  to  society  and 
the  state.  While  this  message  should  be 
simple,  yet  it  should  be  made  very  clear 
that  it  is  our  profound  conviction  that  only 
through  personal  discipleship  to  Jesus  Christ 
are  the  moral  and  spiritual  problems  of 
Mexico  both  individual  and  national  to  be 
solved  and  the  expectations  of  every  heart 
satisfied.  We  would  further  recommend 
that  great  care  be  taken  in  the  translation 
into  the  Spanish  language  of  this  message 
and  that  the  best  native  help  available  be 
secured.  The  Committee  is  of  the  opinion 

16 


that  the  money  to  defray  the  expense  of 
issuing  and  distributing  this  message  can  be 
raised  by  private  subscription. 

2.— THE  MEXICAN  CHURCH— ITS  LIFE 
AND  GROWTH. 

a.  Name 

The  various  Evangelical  bodies  of  Chris¬ 
tians  at  work  in  Mexico,  while  retaining  each 
its  own  denominational  heritage,  yet  agree 
in  the  great  doctrines  of  their  holy  faith; 
and,  to  set  forth  this  basal  unity,  they  desire 
that  henceforth  they  may  all  be  known  by 
the  Common  Appellation  of  “The  Evangeli¬ 
cal  Church  of  Mexico”  with  the  special  name 
of  the  denomination  following  this  common 
designation  in  a  bracket,  when  necessary, 
e.  g.,  “The  Evangelical  Church  of  Mexico” 
(Presbyterian).  When  statistics  are  used,  it 
is  advised  that  whenever  possible  and  con¬ 
venient  the  whole  body  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  be  counted  with  the  number  of  the 
special  denomination  following  in  a  bracket, 
e.  g.,  Sunday  School  Scholars  “Evangelical 
Church  of  Mexico”  10,000  (Methodist  Epis¬ 
copal  4,000). 

b.  Interchange  of  Membership. 

In  view  of  the  proposed  distribution  of 
territory  the  probable  transfer  of  member¬ 
ship  from  one  communion  to  another  and 
the  constant  moving  of  the  people  of  Mexico 
from  one  province  to  another,  your  commit¬ 
tee  recommends  the  following  form  of  letter 
to  be  used  between  the  churches  making  the 
transfer: 


17 


This  certifies  that _ _ _ _ _ is  a 

member  in  good  and  regular  standing  of  the 

Evangelical  Church  ( _ )  in . . 

and  we  earnestly  commend..... . . . _.to  the 


fellowship  and  Christian  watchful  care  of 
_ _ _ _ Church. 

. Pastor 

. . Church 

c.  Self-Support. 

Realizing  that  the  permanence  of  a  con¬ 
gregation  and  its  thorough  establishment  in 
the  Christian  faith  is  most  surely  indicated 
by  its  becoming  entirely  self-supporting  and 
realizing  that  the  future  life  and  growth  of 
the  Evangelical  Church  in  Mexico  wait  upon 
the  time  when  the  native  members  shall  be 
able  to  stand  by  themselves,  we  recommend 
that  the  strongest  possible  emphasis  be 
placed  upon  the  matter  of  self-support,  that 
all  existing  congregations  be  brought  to  that 
standard  as  soon  as  possible  and  that  all 
new  congregations  be  started  only  upon  the 
basis  of  a  diminishing  scale  of  subsidies. 

d.  A  Month  of  Evangelism. 

We  recommend  to  the  missionaries  and 
native  Christian  leaders  of  Mexico  the  ap¬ 
pointment  as  soon  as  practicable  of  one 
month  each  year  to  be  observed  as  a  simul¬ 
taneous  and  nation-wide  season  of  special 
prayer  and  evangelistic  effort. 

e.  Promotion  of  Education. 

We  recommend  to  Evangelical  Christians 
in  Mexico  the  observance  of  a  period  each 

18 


year  when  work  shall  be  done  throughout 
the  country  for  the  promotion  of  Christian 
education  and  for  the  presentation  of  the 
need  of  community  betterment  and  the  prac¬ 
ticable  ways  by  which  it  may  be  attained. 

3.— MEDICAL  MISSIONS. 

Believing  that  the  long  period  of  strife 
and  Civil  War  in  Mexico  will  leave  behind 
it  a  country  in  great  need  of  medical  advice 
and  help  and  that  Christian  service  is  never 
more  spiritually  serviceable  than  when  con¬ 
veyed  by  the  kindly  ministrations  of  medical 
missionaries,  your  Committee  urges  that 
special  emphasis  be  placed  on  increasing  the 
number  of  medical  missionaries  and  the 
establishing  of  well  equipped  hospitals  at 
strategic  points,  not  only  for  the  relief  of 
the  suffering,  but  for  the  training  of  native 
physicians  and  nurses  who  will  thus  be  en¬ 
abled  to  make  their  contribution  to  the  health 
and  social  uplift  of  their  countrymen. 

4.— MISSIONARIES  AND  THEIR 
PREPARATIONS. 

The  large  areas  in  Mexico  yet  unoccupied 
and  the  striking  conditions  under  which  we 
shall  re-enter  our  work  in  that  troubled 
land,  call  for  special  consideration  of  the 
qualifications  and  training  needed  by  all  new 
missionaries.  Mexico  calls  for  the  best  we 
have,  for  men  and  women  of  the  finest 
preparation  and  of  the  best  native  quality, 
of  tact,  insight,  sympathy  and  a  ready  per¬ 
ception  of  the  possibilities  that  lie  concealed 
in  peoples  of  other  training  and  surround- 

19 


ings.  They  will  be  called  upon  to  deal  with 
difficult  and  delicate  questions  and  to  exhibit 
large  constructive  ability  in  situations  of 
which  their  home  experience  gives  them  no 
knowledge.  Above  all  else  should  they  be 
men  of  abiding  faith  in  God  and  filled  with 
the  love  which  constrains  a  man  to  lay  down 
his  life  for  his  friends. 

Language  Study. 

It  is  recommended  that  no  missionary  be 
permitted  to  reach  his  station,  to  engage  in 
actual  work,  without  such  previous  prepara¬ 
tion  in  the  Spanish  language  as  will  enable 
him  to  use  it  with  a  fair  degree  of  pro¬ 
ficiency.  At  least  six  months  of  distinctive 
language  study,  either  in  this  country  or  in 
Mexico  should  be  required  of  each  mission¬ 
ary  before  beginning  work. 

5.— HOME  PUBLICITY. 

That  the  representatives  of  the  denomina¬ 
tions  attending  this  Conference  publish  in  the 
various  church  papers  and  in  the  secular 
press  information  concerning  the  proposed 
program  of  Missions  in  Mexico,  based  on  the 
official  Minutes  of  this  Conference,  setting 
forth  especially  the  reasonableness  of  a 
union  or  correlation  of  the  work  of  the  vari¬ 
ous  churches  in  that  country.  These  pub¬ 
lished  articles  should  emphasize  the  enlarge¬ 
ment  of  work  made  possible  by  this  method, 
the  spirit  of  the  Master  shown  in  adopting 
it  and  the  power  that  will  come  to  the 
churches  by  thus  answering  His  prayer  that 
we  may  all  be  one. 


2Q 


6.— PERMANENT  FIELD  COMMITTEE 


It  is  the  judgment  of  this  General  Com¬ 
mittee  that  there  shall  be  constituted  a  per¬ 
manent  committee  of  Reference  and  Counsel 
on  the  field.  This  committee  to  be  composed 
of  missionaries  representing  the  several  de¬ 
nominations  affiliating  in  the  proposed  co¬ 
operative  movement  in  Mexico. 

We  recommend  that  each  Board  entering 
into  the  plan  be  requested  to  appoint  one 
representative  and  one  alternate. 

We  recommend  that  the  duties  of  this 
committee  shall  be: 

(a)  To  carry  into  effect  as  far  as  possible 
the  plans  of  co-operation  and  unity, 
to  consider  all  proposed  interdenomi¬ 
national  policies  and  to  make  recom¬ 
mendations  to  the  Boards  concerned. 

(b)  To  consider  all  further  questions  of 
co-operation  and  unity  and  to  make 
recommendations  to  the  Boards  con¬ 
cerned. 

(c)  To  arbitrate  differences  which  may 
arise  between  church  bodies  in  put- 
ing  into  effect  policies  of  co-operation 
and  unity  when  requested. 

(d)  To  consider  all  matters  of  common 
interest  which  may  be  referred  to  it 
for  counsel  or  direction. 

(e)  To  promote  and  oversee  the  creation 
of  a  Christian  literature  suitable  to  the 
needs  of  the  people  and  to  secure  its 
distribution. 

(f)  That  the  securing  of  adequate  titles 
to  all  Mission  properties  be  made  the 
special  care  of  this  Committee. 

21 


Mr.  John  W.  Wood  gave  the  follow¬ 
ing  statement  with  reference  to  the  reason 
why  the  Episcopal  Church  could  not  officially 
co-operate,  though  deeply  concerned  in  the 
vital  work  of  the  missions  in  Mexico: 

“It  has  been  a  satisfaction  to  be  here  and 
to  note  the  spirit  of  cordial  co-operation  ex¬ 
pressed  in  the  conference.  On  several  of 
the  most  important  questions  I  have  re¬ 
frained  from  speaking  or  acting  because 
they  dealt  with  subjects  upon  which  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
is  not  prepared  to  act.  For  instance,  in  the 
matter  of  territorial  occupation,  I  have  ex¬ 
plained  to  the  committee,  through  one  of  its 
members,  that  our  Board  has  nothing  to  do 
with  territorial  jurisdiction.  Jurisdiction  is 
determined  by  our  General  Convention  and 
is  committed  to  the  bishop  elected  for  the 
field.  The  General  Convention  is,  therefore, 
the  only  body  in  our  Church  which  could 
deal  with  this  subject.  Moreover  one  of  the 
most  important  features  of  the  work  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  is  ministration  to  the  Eng¬ 
lish-speaking  residents  in  Mexico.  Prior  to 
its  revolutionary  troubles  this  work  was  car¬ 
ried  on  in  widely  scattered  parts  of  the 
country  from  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  to 
the  extreme  north.  With  the  coming  of 
peace  and  the  return  of  foreigners,  this  work, 
it  is  expected,  will  be  re-established.  For 
similar  reasons  our  Board  does  not  find  it 
practicable  to  agree  to  Union  Educational 
Institutions  or  to  advise  our  mission  to  dis¬ 
continue  the  publication  of  the  papers  issued 
for  many  years  by  the  Mexican  Church.  So 
far  as  the  name  by  which  the  non-Roman ; 

22  [ 


Christian  organizations  in  Mexico  shall  be 
known,  I  would  point  out  that  our  Mexican 
congregations  several  years  ago,  by  their  own 
action,  selected  the  name  ‘Iglesia  Catolica 
Mexicana.’  That  name  has  been  recognized 
by  our  General  Convention  and  our  Board 
would  not  feel  free  to  recommend  that  the 
Mexican  Church  should  adopt  any  other 
name.  In  spite  of  these  very  large  reserva¬ 
tions,  I  hope  the  members  of  the  Confer¬ 
ence  will  believe  that  the  Episcopal  Church 
is  deeply  concerned  about  the  vital  subject 
of  Christian  reunion  and  desires  to  share 
in  co-operative  efforts  whenever  practicable.” 

It  was  VOTED  that  in  transmitting  to  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
the  recommendations  of  this  Conference 
there  should  be  added  a  request  that  the 
matters  contained  in  the  recommendations, 
over  which  the  Board  of  Missions  has  no 
control,  be  laid  by  it  before  the  General 
Convention  of  1916. 

It  was  recognized  by  all  that  it  was  in¬ 
dispensable  that  the  plans  should  have  the 
approval  and  support  of  the  leaders,  both 
men  and  women,  in  the  Mexican  churches, 
and  the  representatives  of  each  Board  were 
requested  not  only  to  lay  the  report  of  the 
conference  before  their  own  Boards  and 
their  own  home  churches,  but  also  to  take 
up  the  various  questions  involved  with  the 
Mexican  churches. 

It  is  desired  that  all  who  read  this  report 
should  join  by  prayer  and  active  effort  in 
the  work  of  carrying  out  the  plans  to  which 
the  delegates  of  this  conference  were  led. 

23 


